| Home > Technology > Following the success of the iPodPhoto, is Apple to release a new "get fit" iPod? |
| Following the success of the iPodPhoto, is Apple to release a new "get fit" iPod? | | Date Created: 04 Nov, 2004, 12:28 PM |
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The appearance of a thinner but high spirited Steve Jobs at last week's U2iPod and iPodPhoto Keynote in San Jose certainly caused much speculation.
Many wondered if this marked the beginning of more special edition iPods, featuring other rocks bands and miming celebrity acts.
As part of his return to vibrant health, we've learnt that Steve Jobs has insisted his Apple staff adopt a "get fit" strategy in the hope that Apple will be recognised in 2005 as a one of America's great places to work.
Sources suggested he was unhappy to learn that in the list of top 100 US companies to work for in 2004 as developed by the "Great Place to Work Institute" Apple did not earn a place while Adobe (6), Microsoft (26), Cisco Systems (28), Starbucks (34), Intel (46), Nvidia (61), IBM (72) and IDG (94) all made the list.
So he set his design elves to work on developing an iPod variant consistent with his healthy workplace philosophy. Reports are he was very enthusiastic when the Apple engineering team came up with the Apple iPodometer, combining Apple's legendary music-based iPod with a pedometer and heart rate monitor.
Having learnt at the insistence of Adam Curry and Dave Winer that many iPod users now walk with their music players listening to podcasts as well as RIAA/DRM-free music, Jobs made sure the new iPodometer came bundled with music to walk to, as well as an audio track featuring his own voice. The Jobs track kicks in when the iPodemeter detects the walk rate or heart rate drops too low, whereupon the racalcitrant walker will hear Jobs and other celebrities swear from a random selection of epithets, such as:
"Move that lard ass, you lazy s..t!" through to "Come on! You call this suffering? Use a Windows box for a week - that's suffering... Now move it".
Apple representatives said the iPodometer is likely to be available the first day of Q2 2005, but were unsure if the new iPod variant would keep up with any one attempting the monkeyboy dance.
Jobs himself suggested Microsoft might release its own monkeyboy video-based digital media centre, but warned users were likely to trip over headphone cords if they leapt about too vigorously while looking at tiny screens. |
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